A Sea More Sunless

Chapters

Prologue
Welcome. Delicious Friend.
Spiteful Streets
Welcome to London
Coster Alley

Prologue

Her eyes feel heavy and tired, laden with many hours of ceaseless study in the pale lamplight of the cavern and its walls of alien and incomprehensible symbols. Hundreds of pages of notes lay spread around her, covering the cavern floor like a sea. A sea only broken by islands of open books containing ancient and dead languages.

For hours now she has studied the glyphs upon these walls and for every hour spent no questions are answered, only new ones raised. The meaning behind the impossibly red symbols sear her eyes and chill her heart. The symbols blur as she hears her name. But she does not want to focus on that. She has work to do. She has to know. She has to see. She cries out, startled, as somepony shakes her and calls out her name, “Twilight!”

Twilight's body jolts stiff, as if woken from a dream. She gives a cry of fright startling the orange earth pony who had snapped her from her trance. “A-Applejack!?” She manages to stutter out after calming herself.

“Yah Twi, it's me. The girls and I were getting worried about you. You've been in this here cave for... well, for almost the whole day, sugercube,” Applejack says, with a hint of worry.

The young unicorn looks around herself slowly, seeing her sea of unfinished notes and half-read books. Each one a testament to her failure to unlock the secrets of the cavern.

“Applejack, I can't stop now. Not when I'm so close.”

“Twahlight, you've been saying that yer close every day for the past week now. Ever since the we stumbled on this cave ya been coming here. Ah think it's time you come on back to Ponyville.”

“I can't! I'm so close! I can see it... I can see it... I can see-”

“Twi! Look at yerself! Ya look like you haven't slept in days.”

“No time for sleep...”

“Twi, ya can't keep doing this to yer self,” she says her voice filled with worry, “me and the girls are all worried about you. I think it's time you come back home and stop fussing over these scribbles, alright sugar cube?”

“They're not just scribbles Applejack! These glyphs possibly predate Equestria for all we know! What secrets to they hold!? What can we learn from them!? If I could just read them! I've looked though every book I could get my hooves on about ancient languages, dead or otherwise. And nothing! I've even looked though books on ciphers, code, symbols... nothing. I can't find anything that matches these symbols.” Twilight breaths heavily, giving her eyes a rub before picking up a random book and leafing though the pages looking for the answers she knew weren't there.

“Twahlight... Sugar cube, I think you need a break from all this.”

“No no no, I can't take a break. I know that I'm close, it's in one of these books. I must have just overlooked it, I just need to keep researching!” Twilight says defiantly, trying to reassure herself more then anything. A white bat swoops down past her head causing her her duck with a yelp. “These stupid bats! Fluttershy says they're harmless, but I know... I know. I know they're judging me- mocking me! Yeah that's right! I'm on to you!!” Twilight screams. The bats upon the ceiling merely look at the yelling unicorn with mild disinterest.

“Twahlight!” Applejack yells, shaking her friend. “Just look at yer self! You're yelling at bats for Celestia's sake! When's the last time you've actually eaten, or took ah bath for that matter?”

“I...”

“Come on Twi, you need to come home. We're all worried about you. The girls, Spike, all of us.”

“B-But...” Twilight stammers out, slowly looking down at her self. Her usually well kept fur was now matted and dirty. Her hooves were stained with dry ink. How long has she been here? She doesn't even know anymore.

“No buts now, missy. Let's get ya back to Ponyville, get a nice supper in yer belly, and a warm bath. How's that sound”

“It sounds... nice.” Twilight says wistfully.

“Yah Twi, this cave'll be here tomorrow, and the next day. It'll be here for a long time yet also. Ya can come back 'n study it anytime. Alright.” Twilight only nods in response before Applejack helps her pack up her books and leads her home. Twilight gives a single longing glance back at the slowly darkening cave, feeling a deep yearning burn inside her to view the untold secrets of the runes.

As the lamp light fades from the cavern, the large white bat watches them leave. Its eyes shimmering in the fading light before darkness once again covers the cave. Only the subtle near-unnoticeable glow of the glyphs on the wall to keep them company.

Several hours go by, and the day quickly turns into a dark night. The sky is slowly obscured by a blanket of clouds signaling the coming storm the weather department worked to set up for tomorrow which created the illusion of a great roof over the world below.

Twilight lies awake in her bed, eyes wide open but unseeing as thoughts of the symbols and their secrets swam around her mind taunting her. Crying out for her to understand them. She could almost see. She could almost understand.

Like a zombie she rises from her bed; like a ghost she moves without sound. Careful not to awaken Spike, she gathers her supplies which were still laid out downstairs where she left them; and steps out into the dreary midnight. Silently she trots though town to the dark forest beyond knowing that each step brings her closer to her desire.

The dark cave is once again filled with pale light as Twilight enters the empty cavern, the bats that call it home having left for their night. All except for one. The white bat hangs from the ceiling, watching her. It knew she would return; she always does.

Twilight lays out her books and notes around her as she sets to work. Ignoring the weight of her eyes as the night drags on as she continues studying the glyphs trying to gleam their secrets yet finding none. The light of her lantern grows dimmer and flickers drawing her attention as she watches as the last flames of her light die casting her into darkness.

“Drat.” She whispers to herself and prepares to cast a simple light spell to see.. She stops when she notices the glyphs and their subtle glow. She becomes enraptured by their ethereal and impossible light. She can't help but stare at them. All around her the cavern's walls a alight with glyphs.

Movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention. A glyph. It's moving. They're all moving, twisting, sliding across the walls. Their inner light becoming brighter and brighter yet never seeming to dispel the dark of the cave. Twilight watches them lost in the beauty of their dance. Her mind filling with their wonder.

Faster they move, onto the ground spinning around her like dancers. Ever growing closer. Fear. Twilight is afraid, why: she does not know. They close in. “N-No! Wait!” she cries out, unsure of what magic the glyphs will unleash. She can't go back; they're already behind her. Their angry red glow the only thing she can see in the dark.

They surround the unicorn, covering the floor around her. They reach her. Crawling up her legs, she screams. They burn red hot, yet are colder then ice. She screams and cries out for help as they climb her legs, twisting around her. She can't escape. The reach her neck, she cries out for help. But no one comes. They reach her eyes, and suddenly she can see everything.

With a start she sits up, breathing heavy. How did she get on the ground? Remembering the glyphs she's is instantly to her hooves checking her body in the red light of the cavern. 'I'm... okay?' She thinks to herself. 'Oh thank Celestia it was... just... a...' Something is wrong. A feeling of inversion overtakes her. Why is her hair falling upward? Why does it feel like she's upside down?!

Twilight looks around her, the small patch of mostly flat ground she stands on is surrounded by stalagmites. She slowly traces her eyes up the walls, the glyphs casting their red light around the room. Up she looks to the flat ceiling, covered in her books and papers. “What's going on?” She whispers to herself.

Looking around her eyes are drawn to the only other living thing in the room. The white bat standing on the floor, no... no she realizes. It's hanging from the ceiling. The ceiling that she's standing on. The bat regards Twilight with something one may say was amusement at her confusion before taking flight and disappearing down a small tunnel Twilight never noticed before.

She looked down the tunnel the bat had flown down, it was small, barely big enough for her to walk down. Its walls, floor, and ceiling completely covered in the glyphs like the ones below her. They bent in twisted in such beautiful ways casting their secretive glow over her. Twilight was afraid but stepped forward anyway. As she walked forward into the tunnel, her head turning to try to take in each of the symbols on the wall, she could swear that they were whispering to her.

Soon she came to a deep hole descending (or was it ascending?) into darkness. She gazed into its darkness and saw fear. She was afraid; she didn't want to know the secrets anymore. She felt herself falling forward. All she wanted to do was go home. The glyphs compelled her to let her self go. She wanted to wake up from this dream. Twilight closes her eyes, listening to only the whispers of the bats calling her into the darkness. Maybe if she just wished hard enough she'd wake up. And up she fell... into the dark.

All around her Twilight could hear a cacophony of the noise of the wind rushing past her; her hair whipping behind her as she falls and then. Then suddenly the air fills with thousands of shrill cries. Twilight's eyes burst open as she lights her horn to see, instantly laying eyes on hundreds of thousands of bats all surrounding her as she falls. In awe she watches them fly around her like a hurricane of leathery wings and small furry bodies.

They close in upon her, caressing her gently with their wings. Covering her entirely with their warm embrace. Twilight wants to scream, but the warm darkness is too inviting. Her horn dies as she allows the bats to spirit her away... into the darkness... into the unknown... into the Neath.

Welcome. Delicious friend.

Welcome. Delicious Friend.

Twilight floats in a sea of her dark dreamless sleep. It is warm. She is comfortable here. Here she does not have to worry about the waking world. Oh, what it would be to stay like this forever, but her blissful unawareness is shattered by her body's pitiful need to breath.

She cannot breathe at all. Her body is cold and wet. Panic is her first instinct as she struggles against whatever is holding her down. She quickly wretches her head free of the mud that her body has sunk into and gasps for breath only exasperating her predicament. Twilight coughs out the muck that had invaded her mouth with an unsettling gurgle. Greedily sucking down air, she spits out what's left of the gritty mud from her mouth and wipes off the dirt covering her eyes and muzzle. She blinks away the sting of the muck in her eyes and blurriness of unconsciousness.

She is partially submerged on the muddy banks of a wide river and, just a few moments ago, was face down in the cold sludge. She shivers feeling the water of the river lap up against her lower half. Like the risen dead, she drags herself from the muck and up the river's edge. Her coat and mane felt sticky and heavy with mud.

“W-Where am I?” Twilight whispers to herself while shivering in the cold mud.

Twilight looks around in what dim light there is, ahead the muddy river bank met a brick and mortar retaining wall. Above that, she could see the source of the light, a tall gas street light flickering down at her. Down each direction of the river's banks more street lamps at were posted at regular intervals with some taller building being just beyond the wall.

Slowly, Twilight turns her head around, taking in more and more of the world around her. All around her was a city under a dark sky with almost unnatural looking stars hanging in the moonless sky. The city stretched out on both sides of the river; hundreds of lamps all around gave it a warm almost welcoming appearance. Quietly she takes it all in, mouth slightly agape. Suddenly a voice calls out to Twilight's right.

“'Ey, Cram! Ya find anything yet?!” Twilight whips her head to the voice and down the river bank not that far from her she spots a figure in the shadows under a bridge. The figure lifts, what Twilight assumes to be, its head and calls to another figure a little further down.

“Shut it Nettles! I told yah to be quiet!” The first, apparently named Cram, calls in a masculine voice laced with gravely undertones back to the other figure in the shadows of a bridge.

“Well excuse me! I'm just wonder'n when we can go home. Me boots are full of mud!” The second figure, identified as Nettles, replies, as it walks towards first. Its voice sounding younger then the first's.

“Ah fine! Let's just check a another few yards, then can call it a day. I thought Mudlark'n be a easy way to make some Echos.”

“Well all I found was a dead body... at least I think 'e was dead.” Nettles says as the other figure stands. The latter being a head shorter then the former.

“Any'ting on 'em?”

“Nahhh, not ev'n a pair of boots”

'What are these things?' Twilight thinks to herself. 'They're not ponies, as they walk on two legs, nor do they have horns like a Minotaur- or the build. Are they friendly? Can they help me? What if they want to hurt me!?' Twilight's mind floods with questions; should she stay or should she run and hide? The strange creatures grow closer, and soon they would notice her in the muck. She carefully weighed over her options in her head, the positives and negatives of each choic-

“Ey Nettles...” Cram says.

“Yah Cram?” Nettles replies.

“Am I seeing a purple unicorn in the mud?”

“Yah, I can see it.”

“Good, for a second there I thought I was goin' mad.”

In the light of the street lamp above Twilight can finally fully make out the two beings. The first thing thought of them is on how much taller then her they are. The second thing is how they look; tall bipedal creature with a smushed in muzzles... almost like monkeys, though hairless and with clothes. Well, almost hairless. The one known as Nettles has a short dirty brown mane framing his wide green eyes and pudgy nose. But his most striking feature is how tall he, at least she assumes it is a he, is. Princess Celestia would have to tilt her head up slightly to look at his face.

The other one, Nettles, was shorter. His chin just coming up to the tip of Twilight's horn. His head completely bare of any hair. His deep brown eyes stared into Twilight own in a way that gave Twilight the willies. Like the eyes of a predetor or just someone you didn't want to have sit next to you at a bar. He was ugly as Tartarus; his face looking like he got into a fight with a very angry cat and lost horribly.

She managed to take all of this in within the few seconds between their conversation before Nettles spoke again.

“Do ya think we can sell it?”

“I'm sure somebody at the Bazaar would pay good money for a bloodeh unicorn~”

'Sell me?!' Twilight yells in her own head. 'Why would they want to sell me?! Oh! Maybe they don't know I'm sapient? Yes, that must be it. They've never met a unicorn before and don't know I'm not just an animal. But... they knew what a unicorn was? Well I'm sure if I just explain that I'm not an animal that they won't sell me.' Fully assured that it was just a misunderstanding, she put on the friendliest smile she could considering she still had some mud stuck in her teeth. She hoped she could coax them out of their silly idea and cleared her throat. “Uh... Umm... H-Hello there good... sirs?” Both creatures just stare at her; their mouths slightly agape. 'Nailed it.'

“D-Did it just talk?!” Nettles manages to stutter out after a few seconds.

“Oh we are going to be rich! Not only a unicorn, but a talking unicorn!” Cram says with a glint of greed entering his deep brown eyes as images of wealth and fortune dance in his mind.

“Uh, m-my name is Twilight Sparkle. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Twilight says shakily.

“Yah~” Cram purrs as he makes one muddy step towards her. His boot sinking into the mud with a squelch. His arms looked ready to grab her as soon as he was close enough. “It's really a pleasure to met ya, lass.”

“C-Could you not get any closer, please?” Twilight says fearful of the creature drawing closer to her. She pushes herself up from the sticky mud to her hooves and backs away from him a step.

“Awww, I just want to be your friend.” He says with a friendly smile on his scared face. Twilight really doubted the sincerity of it. Especially when he lunged at her.

With a cry of fright Twilight let loose a quick burst of magic at Cram which hit him in the shoulder knocking him off course and face first into the mud with a loud squishing noise! She quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction before he could get back up.

“What th' 'ell!” Nettles cries after seeing the purple bolt fly from Twilight's horn and striking his friend.

“What are y' waiting for!” Cram shouted at Nettles as he pulls his face from the mud. He ignores the tingling sensation in his shoulder as he pushes himself back to his feet. “Grab 'er!!”

Twilight galloped as fast as she could. Her hooves pound into the mud kicking up mud and grime with every step. Each step was a battle against the suction of the muddy riverbank. Her pursuers, not having to worry about extra legs getting stuck in the mud with every step were gaining, would catch her at the rate she was going. She had one hope. Looking up to the ledge above her, she concentrated on the point just above it. Charging her horn she called upon her magic and the magic of the world around her to charge her spell. The magic here felt strange and alien compared to Equestria… It was cold, dark, and unwelcoming.

“I got-!” Nettles says while lunging forward before Twilight released the spell cutting him off with a burst of light and a pop as the air rushed to fill the void where she once was. Another pop and burst of light marked where Twilight appeared only a few yards above her target point. With a yell of surprise as the world dropped out from under her, she fell along with the batch of mud she brought along with her.

With a groan of pain and annoyance at her fall, she pushes herself to her hooves again. She was safe from those two... things. Catching her breath she looks around at the somewhat well kept brick buildings with their Victorian facades which ran parallel to the river behind her. Only an alleyway breaking up two of the buildings' strings of townhouses. Most of the townhouses on the street had darkened windows and drawn blinds which Twilight expected as it was late at night.

The flicking orange gas lamps cast shadows down the dark street. Another one of those creatures from below walked into Twilight's vision though this one was dressed in something that Twilight thought Rarity would call 'dapper.' Though he was standing oddly as if he was walking and froze mid-step. Caught halfway between steps, he just stares at her like she had grown a second head; or, alternatively, like she was a purple unicorn that had just appeared out of nowhere.

“There you are!” came a voice from behind. Twilight rapidly turns her head seeing Cram pulling himself up from the river bank. “Thought you could get away, eh?!”

Twilight bursts into a gallop breaking for the ally way. Right past the dapper gentleman, whose only movement was his head turning to follow her. She did not want to deal with those two anymore. No longer burdened by mud, she could run much faster. She was gone before they even finished pulling themselves up onto the street, yet Twilight kept running though the dark alleyways of the city. She had to make sure she lost them. She did NOT want to be sold like some pet or livestock or whatever they were going to sell her as!

She ran and ran though the alleys cutting though side streets and dodging past what few of those strange beings she had encountered just minutes before only leaving startled shouts of confusion in her wake. She ran until she couldn't run any more. She slowed down, dragging her hooves, as her lungs burned and her body ached with exhaustion. She was cold and covered in mud; but most of all, she was frightened. Frightened and wishing she could wake up from this nightmare that just had to be in her head. She wanted to wake up smelling Spike making breakfast back home.

She squeezed herself behind a create hoping it would hide her before collapsing next to a pile of trash. It smelled awful but she didn't care; she was too tired to care. Twilight curled up and closed her eyes. Wishing that when she woke up she would be home again. That she would be safe in her warm bed. That all her friends would be there and she would not have to be afraid of strange tall monsters chasing her who wanted to sell her for money.

That night, cold and alone amongst the garbage of the city, Twilight cried herself to sleep.

Spiteful Streets

Twilight stirred from her slumber with a shiver. She felt stiff in her bed hard and lumpy. The damp chill in the air coaxes her from her deep dreamless sleep. Her groggy mind chooses the ignore the discomfort and rather fixate on the little ball of warmth pressed into her chest. Her legs wrap around the plush warmth as she pulls it closer snuggling it with a sigh. She just wanted a few more moments of sleep before she started her day. The odd discomfort of her bed not stopping her.

She remembered the odd dreams she had last night, of the cave and that city. Oh what a silly story they would make. She would have to tell spike all about it over breakfast. She hoped that Spike had made pancakes. She opens her eyes to see the the dirty red-brick wall of her bedroom... no, wait. That's not right.

Twilight partly sits up; her eyes widening with fear. 'W-Where...' she starts to think to herself, 'N-No... I'm... It wasn't a dream.' Worry fills her mind as she holds the only bit of soft warmth she has closer to her like a security blanket. 'It wasn't a dream.' She could feel fresh tears forming at the corners of her eyes. 'It wasn't a dream.' She repeats to herself in her own mind. The weight of her situation slowly growing in her chest.

The little warm ball she is holding shifts in her grasp causing her to look down at it. The largest rat she has ever seen looks up at her with beady red eyes. It's coarse brown fur rubbing against hers as she holds it. She had been cuddling a rat.

Twilight screams and shoves the rat away from her. The creature lands on its feet and quickly scurries off, sparing one glance back at Twilight. It makes a gesture with one of its little claws before slipping into a hole in the wall. Twilight rests her back against the brick walls and breathes heavily. The shock of finding a rat cuddling with her had fully woken her up.

She shivers in the cold gloom of the filthy back ally that she had slept in. Her ear twitches occasionally at some distant voices that she could not make out. She runs her hoof though her filthy and knotted mane moving it out of her eyes. The rest of her body isn't much cleaner. The mud from her arrival on the riverbank had dried overnight leaving her fur itchy and uncomfortable. The fur under her eyes was stained with dried tears, and her hooves were caked with dirt and grime.

She scrapes and brushes what she can from her fur while wondering to herself. 'How long was I out? It's still so dark. The sun should be up by now, shouldn't it? Maybe I wasn't out that long. Yah that's it. Sunrise should be soon.'

A bottle smashes to the ground near by causing her to cry in fright. She presses herself into the wall. Looking up into the shadows and darkness above, she can just barely make out some figure up above; but it quickly disappears from sight. Twilight stands on shaky legs. Whether it was from fear or weariness, even she is unsure. Whichever it was, she knows could not stay there forever... the grumble of her stomach attested to that.

She looks around the pile of old rotting crates that had been her cover from the sight of the open street beyond the ally. She had to find something to eat, but those creatures were out there in the city... Those strange, tall creatures who wanted to foalnap her and sell her like property.

She thought maybe she could search the trash for something she could eat, but she quickly dismissed that idea. She was not desperate enough for that... not yet. No, if she wanted to eat she'd have to brave the strange dark city. 'Hopefully,' she thought, 'when the sun comes up it'll be less scary.'

With a single shaky step she moves out from behind the boxes and looks out into the street. The occasional figure of one of those beings that populated the city walked past, dimly lit by the lamp light of the city streets. Twilight gulps down her fear and slowly steps towards the street. Keeping her body low and hugging the wall, she hopes that the shadows of the ally would protect her from whatever lurks out there.

The street was sparse. A few tall beings milled about going about their business. Most dressed in more raggedy clothing like the two that had tried to capture her the previous night. The buildings were dirty and run down. Broken windows and cracked stones were the norm. One of those creatures currently stooped against the wall coughed and stirred a little. Based on the bottles around him, Twilight deduced that he was some kind of drunk.

She breaks for it. Running as fast as her hooves could carry her to the next ally. Throwing herself into the shadows. 'D-Did anyone see me?' She waits a few moments. No heard sound of voices or steps coming towards her. 'Okay. I wasn't spotted... good... Now I just need to do... something.'

Twilight cuts down the alleyway to the next street over. More of those creatures mill about. Twilight watches them. 'They seem civilized... M-Maybe they're not bad. Maybe those ones down by the river were just an exception?' She thinks to herself watching the tall creatures from her shadowy haven. She spots one moving closer to another. With a quick and skillful hand he pulls something out of the other's pocket and moves on like nothing happened. 'H-He just stole something!? H-How could somepony just steal like it's nothing... Then again... how could somepony want to sell another into slavery...'

Twilight spots another alleyway on the other side of the street. There is no way she can reach it without being spotted. '...it's not that far and it looks clear. Simple.' She lights her horn and tries to call upon her magic. The sickly and dark aura of the world around her chokes her spells and makes her feel cold. Down at the river she had felt this same magic, but she was panicked and fought though it. But now though, now she can feel how thick and foreboding the ambient magic of this place is. It's like trying to cast a spell though a thick sludge.

She scratches an odd itch on her horn, her mind filling with theories and wonder at the magic of this place. 'How could the magic of this place be like this? Why is casting spells harder here? OH the research I could do!' She turns to call out for Spike, stopping the moment she realizes what she was doing. 'S-Spikes not here... W-What was I thinking, this is not the time for this. M-Maybe when I get home I can find a way to come back here later safely. Yah. As soon as I get home I can do what ever research I want.'

She lights her horn again, pushing though the oppressing weight of the world around her. She quietly hoped that no one would spot the light of her spell. With a crack of magic and a flash of Light she appears in the next ally. She began running on the off chance that one of the things in the street spotted her. A door slams open a short distances in-front of her and she skids to a halt as a figure is thrown from it.

With a thud and cry of pain he lands, followed by another one. Twilight recognizes them, they are the same things from down by the river. The short ugly one, Cram, had been thrown out first. The taller lanky one, Nettles, was thrown out second and landed on top of Cram. Five other beings followed them out the door.

Twilight throws herself behind a pile of discarded crates praying that they didn't see her. The two look much worse for ware then the last time she saw them. Their clothing was even more torn, and the two had a few noticeable cuts and bruises.

“L-Look, Mr. Ames-” Cram stuttered out while trying to push Nettles off of him. “We'll get yer money! We's just need a little more time s'all.” The most well dressed of the four other creatures chuckled darkly. He wore a worn black overcoat and silver rimmed glasses which were partially obscured by his long black hair hanging down over his face.

“Time?” He asked in a raspy voice. “Is that all you need? A little more time?! What about all the time I already gave you fine gents. A week. A second week! A third! So far I've given you a whole MONTH of MY time to get me MY money. No, no, no. You get no more time. Time is what I'm out of right now. I apologize. I want my Echos and I want them now.”

“We gave ya every last penny he had! P-Please we ain't got no more!” Nettles half cried his voice quivering with fear.

“Please spare me your begging. It isn't worth anything to me.” He snaps his fingers. “Grab them. They'll pay their debt one way or another... I know a decent Spirifer-”

“Wait! Please! W-We know something interesting that we could make your echoes on! We just need some time to get it done!” Crom pleaded.

He grumbles "Fine... what is it?.” Mr. Ames says with a gesture of his hand.

“We saw someth'n that if we catch we would be rolling in Echos!”

“I'm listening.” Ames says as he raises an eyebrow.

“An honest t'god unicorn!”

“Y-Yah a purple one!” Nettles added. Mr. Ames just stares at Cram and nettles for a few seconds before bursting into laughter that would make even Pinkie Pie cringe.

“That's got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! A purple Unicorn?!” Mr. Ames manages to get out after choking on his own rough laughter. Twilight knew that she could not stay here any longer. She began to back away from the group as quietly as she could.

The clatter of a glass bottle rolling made everyone look over at her. She looks down at the truly evil empty wine bottle that her back hoof had just bumped and slowly back up to the group looking at her. No one moved or blinked; Twilight was unsure if anyone was even still breathing.

Twilight did the only sensible thing she could think to do, at least as sensible as she could muster in this situation. She give the biggest, most fake smile she could before she turned and ran as fast as her four hooves could carry her. Behind her she could hear shouting and soon the sound of the tall two legs chasing her. She spared one glance back and saw three of the creatures who worked for Mr. Ames chasing after her. The ones known Cram and Nettles running the other way being chased by Mr. Ames and his last lackey.

She ran faster then they could. Ahead, the light of the street lamps illuminate the exit to the alleyway. She burst out into the street and immediately regretted it as she collided with someone and went down hard in a tangle of limbs. Her tumble sent her head over hooves which smacked her horn against the ground sending a painful shock down her spine.

Ignoring the pain, she scrambled away from the poor sod she had dragged down with her in the crash. She frantically looks around for any escape route. The creatures on the street all looking at her with a mix of shock or confusion. The three who were chasing her stop for just a moment at the edge of the ally way before before they spot her and resume their chase.

Twilight runs though the streets dodging past confused onlookers or shoving them out of the way. She turns to try to fire off a spell at her pursuers causing stabbing pain to lance down her horn from where the hit it against the ground. She only manages to fire off a spark before the pain becomes too much, though it does slow them down a little when they hesitate at the sight of her horn sparking at them.

Twilight rushes down the nearest alleyway, kicking up dirt and trash in her wake. She makes a corner before sliding to a stop mere inches away from a brick wall. A dead end. 'No, no... Please.' Twilight frantically looks for any other path, door, window, anything. Nothing. She is trapped. A dark chuckle from behind her makes her turn to face her chasers. They grin at her as they make their approach. Twilight pushes herself against the wall quivering in fear.

“P-Please,” She stutters out, “d-don't hurt me.”

“Sorry lass, but Mr. Ames wants ye; and we don't make it a habit if disappointing him.” One says as they close in. Twilight was scared. She couldn't use her magic, was trapped in a corner, and was about to be taken by these monsters to probably be sold off like some slave. She did the only thing she could think to do: she screamed.

She sat there cowering, waiting for them to grab her and drag her away. But they never came. She moved her hooves from her face and looked up at her attackers. The two she could see were turned the other way standing defensively. Looking past them, she saw why. Another had joined the group.

It was a tall somewhat stocky male by Twilight's guess. His wild bright red hair was a stark contrast to the dark shadows of the alleyway and stood out like a sore hoof. He wore a dirty faded blue uniform, torn and covered in various stains. In is left hand he held a billy club. In the other, a glass bottle with amber liquid which he was currently drinking the last off. At his feet was the last of her attackers, on his hands and knees holding the back of his head groaning in pain.

He finishes off his bottle before looking disappointed into the now empty bottle. Before shrugging and bringing it down hard on the head of the man at his feet shattering it. The bottle knocking him out fully before the stocky male looks up and grins at the other two.

“Bloody 'ell! It's the constables!” the one closest to Twilight says.

“Nah. It's just the one...” The second one saysbefore taking out his knife, which the first follows by bringing out his own. “And about about to be a dead one.” Twilight covers her eyes again just as the two charge the blue clad constable with their knives.

Welcome to London

A shout of anger. A cry of pain. The hard crack of wood against skull. The thump of a body hitting the ground. All of these sounds string together with crazed laughter and become Twilight's entire world in those few moments. She covered her eyes as she silently begged that it would all be over soon. The shuffling of boots against stone was the melody of the struggle happening a yard away from her. With one last crack and a soft slump it was all over.

Slowly Twilight peeked from behind her hooves. The blue clad constable stood facing away from her over the other two breathing heavily. Despite the darkness of the alleyway, the shining blood slowly creeping down over one of the downed assistant's faces burned itself into Twilight’s memory.

Twilight was not naive, she knew about violence in the world. Though she never expected to see it herself. She felt sick to her stomach as she watched the thick crimson liquid drip down from her blue clad savior’s club onto the cold cobblestone.

One of her attackers stirred slightly with a groan as he tried to push himself back to his feet. The red-haired constable clicks his tongue in annoyance before rearing back his leg and kicking him in the gut hard flipping him over onto his back with a dull thud.

“Jist stay down ya Sasanach bastard,” he says with a slightly sadistic smile, “...or oi might jist 'av to crack yer skull again. Know what... oi think I'll just do it anyway.”

Twilight forced herself to look away right as he brought the billy club down with a resounding crack. She whimpered to herself, frightened of the very being who had saved her. How could anypony be so cruel? Why was everypony here so violent? To kill someone just on a whim... she couldn't wrap her head around such a th-

“..the 'ell?” Twilight opened her eyes and slowly looked up at the form of her savior. She presses herself harder into the wall in fear of what he might do. The redhead squats down and looks into her deep purple eyes with his bright green ones. His face baring the most unamused expression Twilight had ever seen. “I thought oi 'eard a lass in trouble... but al' oi find is a bleedin' poorpil 'orse.”

He groans to himself placing his hand against his face before continuing, “did oi just club the cr'ahp out av these blokes for sum silly 'allucinashun?” He says, poking Twilight's cheek. “A soft 'allucinashun at that.”

Twilight sat there dumbfounded while the creature poked her face. 'How can he just go from violent to calm like this just like that!?' She thought to herself, 'Are they all like this? Just violent psychopaths!? How did they ever build any sort of civilizati-' “COULD YOU PLEASE STOP POKING ME!?”

“Bleedin 'ell it talks!?”

“I'm not an it... sir? I am a she... and also not a hallucination.”

“Well av course yer a 'allucinashun. Blatherin' poorpil 'orses ain't real. Even down 'ere in de Neath” He says mater-of-factly before poking her cheek again.

“I'm not a... 'orse' ...I'm a unicorn.” she says before he poked her again.

“Just proves me point more... Unicorns don't exist.” he says, poking her again.

“Of course I exist!” -poke- “I'm sitting here talking to you right now and...” -poke- “Will you please stop...” -poke- “Stop poking...” -poke- “Stop it!” -poke- “GERRRAAAHHH!!” With that shout of anger Twilight lunged at the offending appendage biting down on it. The owner of says appendage doesn't appreciate it and yanks back his hand with a pained yelp.

“Ya feckin bit me!” He says, clutching his pained hand to his chest; now sporting a fresh bite mark. “Y-ya... ya bit me”

Twilight gags while trying to spit the taste of his hand out of her mouth, “When was the last time you washed yourself!?”

“Ya bit me... an' it 'urt,” he half whispers, staring at Twilight with awe.

“Well of course it hurt. It was supposed to.” She punctuates with a malicious glare that came off entirely to cute looking.

“You're real!” He says quickly pushing himself farther away from her in pure shock of his realization that the magical purple unicorn was, in fact, real.

“Yah, that's what I was telling you.”

“Well excuse me for not belivein' you! Unicorns ain't supposed to exist!” He exclaimed with a half-sarcastic tone.

'Don't exist?' Twilight thought to herself. 'If unicorns are not supposed to exist then how did they know about our existence? ...are we... e-extinct here? Is this some far off land where unicorns are just some old marestale? W-What happened to all the unicorns!? O-Oh Celestia. D-Did they hunt them to extinction!?!? OH NO OH NO WHAT IF HE WANT'S TO HUNT ME!?!?'

A shock of pain passes though Twilight's cheek as she is pulled back to reality. “D-Did you just smack me!?”

“You looked loike you cud use a good smack'n. Starin' off into nathin' loike dat makin' dem odd faces.”

“U-Um... S-Sorry?” Twilight mumbles out quietly... embarrassed that she went on a mental tangent again.

“Soooo... Unicorns are real?”

“Umm. Yah?”

“Okay then,” he says standing up and brushing off his pants, “I've seen stranger things raun dees parts.” He stretches himself out and looks back at the downed assailants before glancing back at Twilight. “So, whats yer name lassy? If ya care ter share it dat is... Oi never understood why no one likes givin' their names down 'ere. Quite rude if ya ask me.” He says with a wide smile, showing off his actually well kept teeth. With an exception of the missing one.

Now that Twilight was calm she was actually able to digest his manner of speaking. She'd never heard an accent like his before... it was oddly nice. Kinda melodic in nature with a slight nasally sound.

'Wow... he speaks really different from the other ones. Interesting. I wonder what produced such wildly different accents in this place. Maybe he's from some other far off land other than this... one...'

Twilight train of thought is cut off as she watches him as he starts going though the pockets of the three downed assailants, “Are you robbing them! Is it not bad enough you killed them!?”

“Eh, they wud 'av done the same to me... an' oi don't think they're dead. Death is kinda funny down 'ere,” he says with a shrug while he goes though their pockets. “Bah, waat a bunch of tossers. They make me scrap dem an' they don't 'av the common courtesy ter 'av more den a few Echos on em... So lass you going to tell me yer name or not?”

“O-Oh,” she stuttered in response, embarrassed that she completely forgot about it. “I-I'm Twilight Sparkle”

“Twilight. Sparkle,” he says slowly as if tasting her name. “Well ain't dat jist the silliest name Ah've ever 'eard! Though Oi guess it fits since you're the silliest tin' Ah've ever seen in dis god-forsaken city.”

“W-wha!? I am NOT silly!”

“Yer a silly unicorn.” He says with a laugh.

“W-Well what's YOUR name, huh?”

“Ian O'Mooney, at yer service lass.”

“I-an Oh-Moon-y...” she says, pausing to hold back a sneering laugh. “And you thought my name was silly.”

“Is dat any way to trate the paddy who saved yer life?”

“A... paddy?”

“...a man.” He says in a very slow and deliberate tone.

“Man?”

“Yes, a man. That's waat I am lass.” He says with a roll of his eyes.

“Sooo... these are... also mans?”

“...you're not from raun 'ere are ye.” He says fiddling with a tiny bag of some sorts that he pulled off one of the fallen men.

“No... No I'm not. I... I don't know how I really go-,” Twilight's words were cut off by a big full of jingling things boped her in the face, “OW! Why did you throw something at me!?”

“It's money lass. Aboyt 'alf of waat they 'ad.”

“Y-You're giving me money?” She says looking down at the bag and lifting it up in the dull glow of her magic; which she notes is slightly more difficult in the strange oppressive atmosphere of this city.

“Jesus! W-What H-How are yer doin' dat!?” he shouts in confusion, taking a step back.

“What... Magic?”

“Magic?”

“Yes. Magic.” she says with a deadpan stare as she opens up the little bag. Inside is some rolled up paper and some kind of coinage.

“So, waat you're tellin' me is dat you're a blatherin' poorpil unicorn. An' you're magic.”

“...I'm actually more of a lavender.” She mumbles in annoyance, kicking a loose stone.

“Well...” He pulls out silver flask and takes a deep drink of it, “...I can live wi' dat.” He quickly turns and starts walking back towards the end of the alley, muttering something under his breath.

“W-Wait where are you going?” she says, trying with some difficulty to tie the bag around her neck.

“I'm 'eadin' this way,” he says with a chuckle and a gesture ahead of him.

“But your a constible right, arn't you supposed to, I don't know, arrest them or something?”

“Nahhh. Oi'm sure they learned their lesson,” he says with a shrug and another pull of his flask.

Twilight stares at the unconscious men on the ground before looking back at the lawman as he leaves. 'He is crazy... b-but he is a constable and that's like a guard, right? So...'

“Well come on lass. You jist gonna to sit there in de dirt al' day or you going to follow me?” he says looking back at Twilight with a wide smile.

“...well at least he is kind of nice. It is better then trying to chase me.” She mumbles to herself with a smile before standing and trotting out with him sparing only a single glance at the men who had attacked her before slipping around with Ian. “Mr. O'Moony?”

“Yah?”

“Thank you for saving me...”

“Ah, don't menshun it,” he says as he takes a step into the street. Twilight stops and he turns to look back at her, “something wrong lass?”

“W-What if... there's more mans out there who want to hurt me?”

“Ah don't worry lass, they won't mess with you if you stick close to me,” he says with the most sincere smile that Twilight has seen since coming here.

Twilight returns the smile and strange pair step out of the ally into the busy London street. A true first step into a whole new world for Twilight. And for that single moment she was not afraid.

“Ah, by the way lass. Welcome to London.”

Author's Note

Really truly sorry for how long this took... Life, work... Overwatch...

I hope it's to your liking. I know it's kinda dialogue heavy so... sorry for that. I hope you enjoy this story because I hope to keep writing it if I don't get distracted again.

Coster Alley

One step was all it took for that single moment of fearlessness to become completely overshadowed by the sudden quieting of the noisy din of the London street and the dozens of eyes locking onto her like birds of prey seeing their next meal. Twilight's moment of defiance against the fear and loneliness that gripped her since coming to this strange place was quickly crushed under the weight of those curious eyes. With a wimpier of fear she tucked herself behind the blue clad legs of her odoriferous savior with only the sounds of the people, whose visions were thankfully blocked by the impromptu crowd watching her, passing by on the street.

In the back of her head she couldn't help but feel that this must be what it feels like to be Fluttershy. The feeling of a weight in her gut and the hope that maybe if she didn't look at them and kept quiet they'd all go away. But no, their eyes wouldn't leave her. They gawk at her like some carnival freak... 'Please stop staring,' she thought to herself, 'please someone just make them stop staring at me.'

“Oie, quit yer gawkin',” O'Moony shouts with a wave of his club as if answering her silent prayers. “Waat none av ya ever see a poorpil magic unicorn before? Well come on now, go aboot yer business before oi 'av ta make ya!” He punctuates this threat with a crack of his club against the side of the building. Twilight watches as the crowd slowly disperses. Some still giving her glances as they walk away but not wanting to contend with the O'Moony or his billy-club. “You doin' alright lass?”

“Y-Yah,” Twilight manages to stutter out in a whisper trying to hold back some tears, “I'm fine... Thanks.” She gives O'Moony a grateful smile before the sudden noise of her stomach reminds her that she hasn't eaten yet. With a blush she holds a hoof to her complaining gut and chuckles. “S-Sorry... I haven't eaten for a while.”

“Aw naw, that won't do at all,” he says with a huge grin and a pat on Twilight's head, “lucky for ya Oi know dis part of town like de back of me 'and! There's a wee place nearby where de costermongers loike ter set up dis time of day.” He takes a few steps before looking back of the little unicorn. “Well come on now.”

Twilight quickly catches up to O'Moony, sticking to his side like a young foal to their mother. Her eyes darting around the passing people with fear and curiosity. Every so often one would glaze a little too long at her or make a move to walk up to the pair but a glare from her protector and a threatening grip of the club on his belt would make them think twice.

She knew that she probably looked horrible with her dirty mane and matted fur. While she clung to the side of a constable like some sad lost puppy hoping for safety. She did not really care though, because that is pretty much exactly what she was. A sad lost little creature in a scary and cold place and her only source of safety being a creature that could probably easily kill her if he was so inclined. She tries not to dwell on that thought for long.

After a few minutes of walking with no words exchanged between the two, Twilight suddenly found herself with her face full of O'Moony's rear end with a yelp of surprise from both involved. “Gee lass, watch where ya stickin' dat 'orn of yers why don't ya,” says O'Moony with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

“S-Sorry...”

“Ah you're gran',” he says giving Twilight's mane a good rub,“we're 'ere by de way.” O'Moony's definition of here is a some ally, or perhaps side street, that is far more well traveled then the one she had come from. The sound of loud voices drifting from down the way queue her into the fact that there was indeed people down there doing something.

“Where is here?” She asks, apprehension in her voice at the prospect of walking down the dark narrow street to who knows where.

“Well, not quite sure waat the street used ter be called... But 'tis de closest place dat ya can proobably buy somethin' to eat.”

“Probably?”

“Depends on who's set up today,” he says with a shrug as he walks down the shadowy street past a wild eyed woman clutching her coin purse to her chest carrying a satchel full of something as she rushes by without giving Twilight a second glance.

'Set up?' Twilight thinks to herself watching the odd women rush down another alley before following O'Moony. 'Oh! It must be some kind of open air market like the one back in Ponyville... but why have it down such a narrow street.' As she starts to voice the question, the promise of food at the end of the road makes her gut gurgle once more silencing her with embarrassment.

“Tell yer gut to 'ush up, we're almost there.” He almost sings out with a jovial tone to his voice. Twilight can only give an embarrassed chuckle at his antics as she follows behind closely. “Well 'ere we are. He says standing aside and presenting a smallish open square surrounded by buildings with many openings leading into the area.

While many people mill about small pull carts as merchants shout out their wares to whoever is listening while watching out for anyone who tries to sample them without paying. The market has an air of an unorganized mess with carts set up wherever there was room around the edges of the square. “Well go on,” O'Moony says, patting Twilight on the back before leaning against the wall near where they came in, “Go find yerself somethin' to eat.”

“W-Wait, you're not coming with me?” Twilight says, fearful at the sudden thought of walking into the large crowd alone.

“Waat, ya want me to hold yer...” He pauses as he looks over Twilight quickly searching for a word, “Hoof! Ya want me to hold yer hoof?”

“No bu-” she began before she was cut off by a wave O'Moony's hand.

“Now lass Oi can't be roun ya all de time, yer gotta learn ta walk on yer own if ya want ta survive in this town. Ya got some Echos so go an' find yerself somethin' ta eat.”

“B-But what if some-man tries to take me or hurt me like those other ones,” Twilight says with a shaky voice. She couldn't help but think back to the two she met on the river side and again of the men who chased her down the alley.

“Ah. Yer worried they'll tink yer sum animal an' try ta cage ya, or club ya off wi' a stick?” He hums to himself looking about before his eyes settle on a fat man slumping against a half rotten barrel with an empty bottle laying next to him and snoring loudly. “Oi've jist de thing.” He shuffles over to the slumbering drunk grabbing a hat off his bald head before plopping the thing on Twilight's own. Looking over his work he smiles smugly to himself. “Dare ya go. Now don't ya look civilized enoof ta go shopping withoyt people tinkin' yer someone's mangy dog lookin' for table scraps.”

Lighting her horn she takes the hat back off her head and holds it back to him, “Mr. O'Moony, you can't just take that man's hat.”

“Sure Oi can... an' Oi did. Besides Oi think ya need it more den 'e does. Now 'ush up an' put on yer bob 'at. Oi went though a lot of trouble ta git it for ya lass.” He finishes with a condescending waggle of his finger and a grin that made Twilight want to hit him in the face ever so slightly.

Twilight stares down at her 'bob' hat. It was a messy thing made of a heavy black felt with a rounded crown. The felt was worn down in a few places and the rim had a few nicks, but she guessed that it looked nice. It comically small for the man who O'Moony 'acquired' it from, but just big enough for her own head.

With a sigh Twilight slipped the thing back on her head just behind her horn. “You really think that the hat will work?”

“Sure let's go with that,” he says before taking a pull from his flash as he leans against the wall. “Now take yer Echos an' buy somethin' to eat before ya starve ta death.”

Twilight takes a deep breath and turns to faces the little market. Right away her eyes pull her to a group of bystanders watching her and whispering to each other. 'Come on Twilight you can do this,' she reassures herself mentally before taking her first step. 'Good, one step. Just an unknown number to go until I can eat.' One hoof in front of the other she makes her slow pace into the mildly crowded market. The bodies in front of her part aside as they watch her in curious awe. Their idle gossip and conversations turn from their mindless babble to her.

“Blimey is that a unicorn?” Came a voice somewhere to her side. “Gee get a look at that thing,” another voice says from elsewhere. “I 'tink I 'eard it talking.” “Who let that horse down here?” More comments of the like slowly filtered through Twilight's ears.

“Ignore them Twilight,” she whispers to herself, the shake in her voice betraying her growing apprehension of the situation. “Just pretend that they’re not there.”

Twilight looks about the market as she walks, trying to take her mind off of the voices around her by paying attention to the merchants and what they are selling. She only stops to lean up to see what they were selling when she could not see into their bins and baskets. The merchants for the most part didn't treat her like an animal. They only give her cocked eyebrows and curious glances. Maybe the hat was working, or maybe they were not selling anything an animal would want. They seem more worried about people snatching their wares to gawk at her like the rest.

Before long, her worry melts away as her curiosity slowly grew at all the things for sale. A cornucopia of data sat before her to teach her more about the place she has found herself. She notes the, as the merchant kept describing it as to anyone who would listen, fresh fish. 'Fish... A staple food source of many species. Would that mean that they're carnivores? Maybe piscivores? No... unlikely. At least... I hope it's not either of those. Be hard to find something for me to eat if they only eat meat.'

She chuckles quietly to herself before wandering close to the fishmonger. 'If nothing else I guess I could try some fish... I tried it before at that griffin restaurant in Canterlot... but it didn't really agree with my stomach.' She quickly stops in her tracks as she draws close to the stall as the scent of the fish hits her nose almost making her gag, 'Oh Celestia! No way in Tartarus that is “fresh” fish.'

“What, don't like fish?” The fishmonger chuckles at Twilight's face, “Well I don't sell to horses anyway.”

“Well I didn't want to buy your nasty fish anyway.” Twilight retorts. Turning her nose up she stomps away forcefully in her best impersonation of a Canterlot noble leaving the gobsmacked merchant and one man bursting into laughter behind her.

'Good job Twilight.' She assures herself with her head held high. 'Don't let them get you down. You are a proud intelege-' Twilight's thoughts were quickly stopped as she ran face first into a body. A body that happened to belong to an angry looking drunk.

“OIE! Watchs whar yer going y-you f-fucking 'oers.” He stutters loudly at causing little flicks of spit to hit her in her face. The stench of hard liqueur surrounding him is like a cloud of sickness.

All at once Twilight's short burst of bravery melts away as her ears droop. Holding back a whimper she utters an apology and quickly rushes away from the man before he could yell at her more. With her head low and ears drooping, she slinks her way through the market hoping just to find something to eat before anything else bad happens.

Suddenly a voice caught her attention. It breaks through the din of the small market: “MUSHROOMS! GET YER FRESH MUSHROOMS 'ERE!”

'Mushrooms,' she thought to herself as her ears perk up and eyes search for the source of the voice. Quickly she moves through the crowd in search of the promise of something edible and then there it was. In front of her is a small cart with several baskets full of various hopefully edible fungi.

Walking up to the cart, her eyes glue to the cornucopia of fungal treats. Visions of eating were snatched from her mind at the voice of the salesman deep voice, “Shoo! Shoo! Go away before I gotta belt you one.”

“B-But I'm hungry,” she stammers out at the angry merchant. It is the only thing her stomach would let her say in response. Though to her stomach's defense it did make the merchant stop shaking the stick and grow a confused look on his face. Though he quickly recovered.

“I don't serve dirty animals,” he says in a low and malicious growl as his eyes narrowed at her.

“B-But but,” Twilight stutters out. Her mind quickly searches for anything to say to make him serve her. Her mind churns over anything that could help her get the food. Finally something that O'Moony said worms its way into her head. Putting on her most winning smiles and giving her new hat a friendly tip, “I-I'm not an animal. I have a hat, see? A-And I have money.”

“A horse with money that'll be the day. Go away before I have ta make ya.”

“N-No please! I-I'm hungry, please sell me something,” Twilight begs, lighting her horn and taking everything out of the little pouch around her neck in the dim glow of her magic before holding right in front of the merchant.

The merchant merely stares at the currency for a few moments before moving past his trepidation over the show of levitation and snatching the money out of the air, “Fine, I'll serve ya.” He counts the money with a sneering grin before looking back at Twilight. “Not much here is there?” He says, his voice sounding almost like he is testing her.

“N-no I guess not...” She mutters letting her ears droop. 'Please be enough for something. Anything. I'm so hungry.'

“I tell ya what, I'm a generous sort,” he says with a grin that says anything but as he held out one white bulbous mushroom to Twilight. “'ere ya go. One tasty mushroom.”

“T-Thank you sir.”

“No thanks nessary.” He chuckles out as Twilight slinks away with her measly meal with a sigh. The sleazy merchant watches the poor unicorn leave as he mutters a single word under his breath, “What a stupid horse...”

With her prize in her magical grasp, she quickly rushes back through the crowd. She still garners some attention but less so than before now that most have had their fill of her oddity or were too engrossed in whatever else they were doing. Finally breaking away from the crowds, she spots O'Moony still leaning against the wall where she left him with his eyes closed.

“Find anythin'?” O'Moony asks opening one eye to look down at her.

“Just a mushroom...” She replies and takes of bite of her little morsel of food with a slight bit of sadness in her voice. It is dry and a little bland with a musky aftertaste. She coughs on the taste of it a little silently thinking that maybe it would taste better in a stew or grilled.

“That's it? That's al' ya got?”

“Yeah,” she says after swallowing her first bite, “you didn't give me that much money.” Slowly she takes a second bite, hoping that if she eats it slower it will make her think she had more... but deep down she knows that will not work.

“Shud 'av been able ta get more then that lass.”

“Well I gave him my money and this is all he gave me okay! He wasn't even going to serve me until I practically threw my money at him!” O'Moony stares down at Twilight with an unreadable expression on his face. 'I must look pathetic,' Twilight thinks to herself, 'A pitiful dirty pony with a stolen hat, no money. Hungry, lost and lonely.' Her vision blurs as she raises her leg up to wipe the forming tears from her face. The sound of O'Moony's heavy bootsteps slowly leave her. “S-See Twilight,” she mumbles quietly to herself, trying not to openly sob, “you so pitiful that no one wants to deal with you. M-maybe I would have been better off just letting those two mans take me...”

She quietly sniffles and wipes her eyes off again. Sitting there and eating her little morsel of a meal hoping to melt into the brickwork as she ignores the world around her. The sounds of angry shouting do not even phase here anymore. To her, it is just the sounds of the hell she has found herself in.

“'ay lass,” O'Moony wispered, softer and more caring then she has ever heard him speak in the short time she's known him. “Stop cryin'. Oi got somethin' for ya little lass.” The little unicorn looks to the big man kneeling down next to her holding a bag in his hand and wearing warm friendly smile on his face.

“W-What did you get me?” Twilight stares at the bag he's holding as he slowly opens it revealing an assortment of mushrooms. “M-mushrooms? Y-You didn't spend your own money to get them did you.”

“Oh no of course not. That langer ‘av a merchant swindled ya, so Oi went and talked to 'em about it. Took a minute ta find 'em but lucky 'e was the only one sellin' any mushrooms te-day so that was actually easy.”

“R-Really?”

“Aye deary. Oi quietly told 'em waat 'e did ta ya was wrong. He practically broke down cryin' right then an' there when Oi came a callin.’ Even beggin' forgiveness for waat 'e did.” O'Moony gives Twilight a mirthful smirk as he places the bag down in front of her and takes an echo and a some coins out of his pocket. “He was so sorry that 'e gave me yer Echo an' then some back. An' also this nice bag o' mushrooms for ya. Now let me see a smile little lass.” Twilight can't help but smile as the sadness melts away from her mind as the thoughts of a nice meal enter it. She does not even care as he places his hand on her head and messes up her hair, it actually feels nice.

Twilight can't help herself as she practically jumps ups and hugs O'Moony, “Thank you! Thank you!” Twilight cries, but they are not tears of sadness anymore.

“Aye now calm down, it wasn't really anythin'. Jist promise me you'll be more careful with yer Echos from now on, aye lass?”

“I... I'll try.” She says wiping the tears from her eyes once more.

“Gran'. Now come on lets get out of 'ere.”

“Okay.” She nods with a smile as she hops back to her hooves and O'Moony picks up the bag of mushrooms for her as they walk side by side back the way they came.

“Ian?”

“Yah Twilight?”

“You threatened that merchant didn't you...”

“Oh naw lass. Oi didn't threaten 'em at all.”

“Oi skipped that part...”

Author's Note

Before any of your lore aficionados point out. Yes I did in fact make up this area featured in this chapter just for the story.

And for those of you who are most likely wondering what kind of hat I gave Twily (because describing a hat in great detail is actually hard) it was a victorian bowler hat: